Connecter plug



Oct. 11, 1932. Q HE, 1,882,590

CONNECTER PLUG Filed Sept. 3, 1927 Patented Oct. 11, 1932 UNITED ,STATES PAT-ENT OFFICE GUsTAvE HEIN, oF ASTORIA, NRW` YORK, AssIGNoR, BY MESNE'ASSIGNMENTS, To

LnvIToN MANUFACTURING COMPANY,A CORPORATION or NEW YORK CONNECTER RLUG Appiieation mea september e, 1927. seriai N0.217,4s3.

rllhis invention relates toimprovementsin connecter vplugs ;V especially connecter plugs for electric smoothing irons and other Well known utensils. f y An object ofthe invention is toprovide a connecter plug having the usual parts for attachment to an electrical conductor and to engage the contacts of the iron or other utensil;H and comprising in addition a vsimple switch for' controlling the electric current.

A further 'object of the invention is to provide a. connecter plug containing a switch consisting of very few parts, easy to manipulate, and costing comparativelylittleto pro- 1'5 duce. y

An importantadvantage afforded by this inventionis that the smoothing iron or the like can be attached tothe ordinary conductor oined by the ordinary connecter plug to 2O the usual outlet of the electrical supply circuit of a house or building,without requiring the complete separation of the conductor from the outlet of the supply circuit when the use of the iron is to be temporarily dis# D continued. By merely openingthe switch,

the iron can be set aside for the time being,

' but remains perfectly handy for further services whenever the housewife or other operator again needs it.

Other objects and advantages are set forth in the following description, taken with the drawing, which discloses a form of my inventio'n. The description however is illus-y trative only and I mayvary the shape,size

Same 011 Ydirectly to the clamp in this recess.

and arrangement of parts without exceeding' v terms of thek Fig. 1 is a top planof one half of the plug Thesame numerals identify the same parts throughout. The plug as shown herein comprises a casing of insulation, consisting of a top 1 and a bottoniQ, secured together in any suitable yfixed contacts in the form of the usual split clamps which receive and grip the contact prongs of the smoothing iron or the like when the plug is attached.. One of these clamps is indicatedat 6 in Figure 2, the other being omitted from the drawing. At 7 is a partition extending lengthwise through the plug and on one side of the partition is apassage 8 Vleading from the opening 3 to the recess 4, sothat. one supply conductor can bel atiixed The clamp 6 in the other recess 5 is united to the remaining conductor by way of a switch in a compartment 9, on `the opposite side of the partition 7. It will be seen from Figure 1 that the partition 7 thus divides the interior of casing into two conductor channels, one a channel 30 comprising thev recess 4 and passage 8, and theother a channel 31, comprising the recess 5, switch compartment 9 formed by an offset portion ot the partition 7 and the passage from this compartment to the opening 3. It will also be seen that these two conductor channels are insulated from one another by the partition 7 yfor substantially Vthe entire length of the plug.

Y This switch is mounted on a journal or `is a Contact piece, having a lateral lprojection 15, in position to be engaged by the projection 12 on the' arm 11, and this piece 1s connected actuator 19. lVashers 24 lie between the ac- Y to the .clip 6 in the recess 5 by some rivet 16 or the like which holds this clip in the casing. Contact 14 and clip 6 are secured by the rivet 16 to the top of a ledge 33 in the channel 31 and the contact 14 is bent downwardly into the channel 31 and thence extends along the outer wall of the channel. In closing the switch the contact 12 moves into abutting engagement with the iixed Contact 14 which is held in position and prevented from swinging around the rivet 14 by outer wall of the channel 31. A member 17 engages one end of the journal 10 and carries a binding screw or postlS for the other supply wire which passes intothe compartment 9. Hence, when the switch is closed, the post 18 is in circuit with this clamp 6. The outer end of member 17 is held against swinging movement about the post 10 by the partition 7 and wall of the plug casing. y n v The arm 11 is operated by a member 19 of insulation, also pivoted on the journal 10.

VThis actuator 19 projects to the outside of the plug through recesses in the meeting edges ot t-he parts 1 and 2, providing a slot 20. It also has an opening 13 at its inner end, and is joined to the arm 11 by a resilient element 21.

This element is in the form of a looped U- shaped spring, having legs 22, the ends of which are bent to enter the apertures 13 of lthe arm V11 and actuator 19. rlhis spring 21 is a tica-ting spring that is, it moves bodily when the actuator is manipulated into diii'erent positions to throw the arm 11 in opposite s directions, as one may wishrto open the switch or close it. The legs 22 tendvnormally to spread apart, and'when the switch is closed, as indicated in full lines on Figure 2,`the spring 21 holds the actuator 19 firmly against one end of the slot 20 and the arm 11 against the projection 15. lVhen the switch is opened, the spring holds the actuator 19 against the other end of the slot 20, and the arm 11 against a corner 23 of the partition 7, as indicated in Figure 2 by broken lines; and t-he ends or" the slot 20, the projection 15 and corner 23 thus serve as stops for the arm l1 and it the actuator is manipulated to broken line position, pulling the spring over to the right.

r hus the legs 22 are forced towards each other, and they approach a position more in j line with the length of the plug. Then the spring at lastis carried over to the right ci' a line joining the centers of the journal and the aperture v13 in the arm 11, it exerts a force on' the arm 11 which becomes edective to turn the arm 11 in a counter-clockwise direction. The switch then quickly opens. Movement of the member 19 in the other direction again .y will quickly close it.

` As previously stated one of the terminal wires of the cord extends through the passage 8 and is connected to the clip in the recess 4 and t-he other' terminal wire of the cord is connected to the member 17. 1t will be seen that the two terminal wires after entering the opening 19 bend outwardly in opposite directions and each then bends around a part of partit-ion 7. This disposition of the wires in the channels relieves the wire binding means on clip-in recess 4 and on the member 17 from undue strain which might pull the wires loose from the binding means.

The plug thus comprises only a few parts, can be easily operated, made at low cost, and is not liable to get out of order. f

Having described my invention, what I u believe torbe new and desire to protect and Ysecure by Letters Patent of the United States is Y Y Y 1. A connecter plug comprising a casing open'at one end for the reception of a conductor cord, a partition in said casing formcontact, and a'ixed contact connected to the* inner end vof one of the clamps.

2. A connecter plug comprising a casing formed with a conductor channel extending therethrough, a conductor clamp in said channel near one end thereof, a switch in said channel, comprising a liXed contact having a kcontacting portion extending along aside wall of said channel, and a second contact movable toward said wall to engage said stationary contact and means engaging said clamp and stationary contact for holding said clamp and stationary contact in position. 3. Ina device of the class described, a casing having a conductor channel extending therethrough, a switch located in said channel and comprising a contact secured to the bottom of said channel, and bent parallel with the side Wall of said channel and a second contact movable toward said wall to engage said first named Contact to close a circuit and holding means for a terminal conductor connected to said first named Contact.

4. A connecter comprising acasing having a partition extending therethrough and forming separate conductor channels, a switch located in one of said channels and comprising a stationary bearing post, a contact pivotally mounted on said post, a fixed contactY adapted for engagement with said movable contact,

afconducting member mounted on said post "I and terminal binding means carried by said member, said member being held between said partition and the wall of said casing.

5. A connecter comprising'a casing having a partition extending therethrough, and

icc

ist

forming separate conductor channels, a switch located 1n one of said channels and comprising ya stationary bearing post, a conf 1 tact pivotally mounted on said post and means a movable switch contact adapted for abut- Y ting engagement with'said fixed contact.

7. A connecter plug comprising acasing having a conductor channel. extending therethrough, a conductor -clamp in said channel adjacent one end thereof, said channel being formed with a ledge on which the inner end in said compartment, a switch arm pivoted on said post, a member on said post and carrying terminal binding means, ank actuator,

also pivoted on said post, the casing having a slot through which the actuator projects and a looped spring having its ends engaging the arm and the actuator, the ends of the slot providing stops for the actuator and the plug having parts, one of whichl is a fixed contact to serve as stops for the arm.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

GUSTAVE HEIN.

of said clamp is secured, a switch in said channel comprising a'xed contact secured on said ledge and electrically connected with said clamp, said contact being bent downwardly from said ledge into said channel and extending along said wall and a second contact movable toward said wall to engage said iixed contact. s

8. In a device of the class described, a casing having a switch compartment therein, a switch actuator pivotally mounted in said compartment and projecting outside said casing, a pivoted switch'arm in said compartment, a iixed contact adapted to be engaged by said arm, aV resilient operating connection between said actuator and arm mounted to act from different positions to move said arm quickly into and out of engagement with said contact.

9. A connecter plug comprising a casing having a switch compartment therein, astationary bearing post insaid compartment, a switch actuator pivotally mounted on said post, a fixed contact, a contact pivotally mounted on said post and acting from differ'- ent positions of said actuator to cause said pivoted Contact to engage and disengage, said iixed contact.

10. A connecter plugrhavinga compartment therein, an actuator pivotally mounted in said compartment and projecting to the outside of said plug, a switch comprising a pivoted switch arm in said compartment, members for joining a conductor to said arm, one of which members is a lixed switch contact, the plug providingstops :for the arm and actuator and a U-shaped spring connected at its end to the actuator and switch arm and movable with the actuator.

1l. A connecter plug comprising a casing having a compartment therein, a bearing post 

